-- Life is good right now for Chris Osgood.
A week after earning victory No. 400, Osgood won No. 401 in front of family and friends in his hometown of Edmonton as the Red Wings defeated the Oilers 5-3 on Tuesday.
Osgood can Todd Bertuzzi, who scored his second goal of the game -- his first goals in 15 games -- at 17:10 of the third period breaking a 3-3 tie. Darren Helm made it 5-3 44 seconds later.
"We didn't get rattled," said Osgood, who made 22 saves. "When they tied it up, and it was on me (a bad goal allowed Edmonton to tie it 3-3), we kept playing and we played real well after they scored and took it to them."
The Wings led 3-1 after two periods and appeared to be in total control.
But the Oilers' Theo Peckham and Sam Gagner scored early in the third period, tying the score at 3.
"We didn't start the third period the way we wanted," Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "We didn't get through the neutral zone and they got that chintzy one (to tie the game) but we responded well and got those two big goals."
Osgood didn't know he was starting until the Wings landed in Edmonton.
Babcock originally said Howard was going to get the start but decided to give Howard a break after a pair of hard-luck losses at Joe Louis Arena.
"To regroup," Babcock said. "It hasn't been going the way he'd like it to go for him. Not that he's played badly, it's just tips that were hitting him are now missing him. Sometimes you can get on a roll and go in the wrong direction, (but) we want him to get on a roll in the right direction."
Babcock expects to start Howard in Calgary on Friday, but hasn't officially decided yet.
Osgood appreciated the chance to play in front of his family and friends.
"It felt good," Osgood said. "My dad (John Osgood), I'm not sure he'll see me play here again. I would have liked to win with less than three (goals allowed) but winning is the thing, and to have him see me play here is great.
"It's special for me to get an opportunity to play here, possibly for the last time," said Osgood, 38, who hasn't decided if he'll return for another season. "I'll decide that (retirement) at the end of the year, but present day I'm just happy to play here and see what the future holds."
Osgood was hoping to get one of the starts either in Alberta -- here in Edmonton, or Friday in Calgary. Getting the chance to play at Rexall Place, where he watched so many games as a teenager, was special.
"I grew up watching the Oilers play in the late 1970s and early 1980s and it was a team I idolized growing up," Osgood said. "Getting a chance to play here in front of my family for maybe the last time, it's great, it's important to me."
Henrik Zetterberg and Kris Draper had the other Wings goals. The Wings (25-10-5, 55 points) stopped a two-game winless streak (both at Joe Louis Arena) and won their fourth consecutive road game.
The Oilers (12-19-7, 31 points) have lost seven consecutive games and nine of 10 overall.
Jan. 5, 2011
